Provided that your student is doing 2-3 things that he or she really likes, that is fine. Doing a few things well is better than doing many things a little bit.
Summer school is the easiest way, just be sure to get prior approval first. You can also do online classes to replace and C’s, D’s or F’s. Pulling up middle school A’s for foreign language, Algebra and Biology is often another way to improve a GPA. Only pull up A’s!
Be very careful and be very nice. Be sure the student handles the situation and that the parent stays out of it. Teachers do not like to deal with parents and the student will have even less chance of mending the fence if the parent gets involved. Tell your student that not getting along with some people is a normal part of life, that your student should be exceedingly polite at all times, and that he/she should do everything possible to make the teacher feel liked and respected. Completely hide the dislike. That’s the professional way to go about it.
You can start a college list when the student is ready. Do not push. Most kids start one junior year. This needs to be student driven. Remember that your student is going to college–not you–so let them lead in every way.
Most lists start with 20-30 schools and end up at 8-10. Make sure the final list has Reach, Match and Safety–at least two of each.
Most likely not, so be ready for that. Ivies, and other top schools, have admissions rates of 5-15%, and nearly all of the kids who apply have 4.0 GPAs, so be ready for the reality of how competitive it really is. Most adults could not get into their own alma mater today. Kids who get into Ivy League schools are typically athletes, donors, legacies, minorities, low income or first generation college students, published authors, students who have done research on the college level under a faculty member, and students who have any sort of international recognition (national isn’t usually enough). Please don’t try to push your student to become one of these things; let your student be who he or she is and they will end up at a school where they will be very happy and successful, which will set them up well for life.
Two teachers from Junior year, core subjects: English, History, math and science. Foreign language can be ok. Students should choose a teacher who knows you well and has seen you work very hard. Extra rec letters from well-meaning neighbors and friends can ONLY be sent if the college is ok with it. Your student’s school counselor will also send a letter.
Summer school is the easiest way, just be sure to get prior approval first. You can also do online classes to replace and C’s, D’s or F’s. Also, ask the teacher if you could redo a unit test or essay. Sometimes they will allow it. Do not ask for extra credit, or to fix my grade. Ask how you can better learn the material.
The short answer is that you can’t. The more you say about it the less they will do it, and it’s not worth the fight. They all start to work when they see their friends start to work. If your student won’t be carried along by good peer pressure, you could hire an independent college counselor because having a stranger involved often spurs the kids forward. Be aware, though, that the work needs to come from the student and even the best college counselor cannot *make* a student do anything. Kids finish the apps, so don’t worry. Virtually none of them finish them in the summer, as you likely would, so don’t set that as an expectation. It’s the student’s process and they will engage in it at different times, Sept-Dec. of Senior year.
The vast majority of them are, even the ones who are very nervous. Nervous is normal. If you have a student who is crying a lot and seems overly anxious, discuss with them the fact that they can defer for a year or attend a school closer to home. Sometimes just knowing they have options is all it takes to ease the pressure.
You have several options: free prep online, self prep with a book, small class locally, online with Princeton Review or Kaplan, and private tutor. These are in ascending order of cost. Do be aware that you often get exactly what you pay for with this stuff, and even the most expensive programs usually offer discounts for highly motivated lower income kids. This prep is very boring, so beware the temptation to assume a book will be fine”. It’s tough and dull.
Students should start testing in Fall or Winter of Junior year, when they feel ready. Spring of Junior year is TOO LATE! That’s the traditional time but it makes Junior year spring way too stressful and then kids end up testing in Senior year Fall, which means their college list isn’t at all accurate because they don’t know where they can get in… Start testing in Fall of Junior year, Winter at the latest.
If the scores aren’t as high as the student thinks they can get them, then yes. If the student already gave 110%, then no. Most students take each test twice because the second score is usually the best. Taking the tests more than three times is usually a waste of time and money.
Only if he or she is applying to the most selective colleges, and only if the student can get terrific scores on the tests. Merely taking the test is not the point. You don’t want to send in a 550 or 650 to a top tier college. If your student can get 750’s, then that’s good and worth the time. A 700 is a good score, but the competition will score higher, so be aware
Take 2 or 3 that the student knows he or she can do best in. Get the prep book and study, because all of the material is there and the colleges know it, so it’s a litmus test for who prepped. Do not take Math Level 1 because the colleges want to see Math level 2. If you want to study Engineering you’ll need to take Math 2 and Physics, usually.
www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org
When your student is ready and interested. Most families do official campus visits during Junior year. If you visit during the school year your student can see the students on campus and know if they feel that it’s a good fit for them. If you go earlier than Junior year, the colleges will likely not give your student much time, as they focus on Juniors.
Families can visit usually two colleges per day. Take notes and be sure your student does the talking. No college wants overbearing parents. There are handouts in the Resources section of CollegeMapper covering how to do a campus visit. It’s fun!
Read the Handout on CollegeMapper, under Resources, which covers everything you can see and do and ask about. You should go on the official tour and attend the info session, as registered guests. This is handled through the Office of Admissions. Doing an after hours walk through or driving round the campus on your own is ok and better than nothing, but the school has no record that the student was there and interested, so remember that demonstrating interest is important.
Read the Handout on CollegeMapper, under Resources, which covers everything you can see and do and ask about. You should go on the official tour and attend the info session, as registered guests. This is handled through the Office of Admissions. Doing an after hours walk through or driving round the campus on your own is ok and better than nothing, but the school has no record that the student was there and interested, so remember that demonstrating interest is important.
That will not happen if the college list is designed properly. The vast majority of colleges in the country accept the vast majority of their applicants, so provided your student has Reach, Match and Safety schools, all will be well. The only students who run the risk of being accepted nowhere are students who apply to too few schools and all Reach schools.
Most kids start the whole process at some point during Junior year, and the vast majority of the work takes place in the Senior year Fall, so all will be well.
While it is true that many employers these days are interested in what specific skills new grads are bringing to the job, don’t be afraid to allow your student to major in something of great interest to them because employers love passion. Your student can double major, to ensure that he or she has a steady income while they pursue a subject they love.
Check how much your student is sleeping. If a student is sleeping 6 or 7 hours a night, that is common. 5 hours of sleep denotes a too full schedule. 4 hours of sleep is a problem. Sometimes students take on a too heavy courseload in an attempt to strengthen their profile, but if it’s a load thats too heavy for them, it won’t work and it’s not worth it. Help your student to gauge how many advanced courses they can take and still get A’s, while getting good sleep and having fun in school activities, too. Teach the student how to balance, and not to push too hard. Pushing too hard can only work for a short while. Balance is a skill and the key!
The Common App is one application that over 400 private schools (and some public schools) use. Most public schools (and some private schools) have their own applications. Students can fill out the Common App one time and send it to many schools.
It’s great if students can join something freshman year, so that they can be involved for all 4 years. Don’t panic if your student doesn’t do this, though, as many students need a little time to get on their feet.
If your student wants to apply to very competitive summer programs, then you will want to start looking into those in the Fall because they may have application deadlines in Fall. Most students begin looking at summer programs in February, and certainly in March.
Yes, if at all possible. Admissions is a human process and face-to-face time is always an asset. In the CollegeMapper Resources section we have interview prep materials.
It is not a good idea if the student has been playing for most of his or her life. If the sport currently takes up the majority of the space on the resume, then the student needs to use that in admissions and offer to play at college. Unless the student is injured or really, really just disgusted with the sport, then being willing to play in college is a great asset. Your sport can get you into a better college than you can get into on your own. Some kids swear they are so excited to play all four years in college, and then they get there and hate it and quit. Other kids swear they will never play in college but then they get there and try it and love it. There is no way to know which kind of kid you are, so offer to play your sport in college because it will open doors for you beyond what your GPA and test scores can do.
86% of all aid students receive comes directly from the college, and is applied for by submitting the regular application. Students apply for private scholarships starting in January when college apps are done.
Look on scholarship search sites and apply to as many as possible. Don’t overlook the little ones because lots of little ones add up!
You must file the FAFSA in January, before January 30, to get the best possible aid from your college. Use www.fafsa.ed.gov. That’s the correct link and the ones close to it in spelling are scams!
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the application that determines your Estimated Family Contribution for college (EFC) and your colleges use the EFC to decide how much aid to give you. You need to file the FAFSA. Everyone should file the FAFSA!
A resume helps you list all of your activities and awards and jobs, etc etc. This is great to take with you to an interview for college or for a job. One of the best uses of your resume is that when you are filling out your college applications you can sit with your resume beside you and not be stressed that you are forgetting something. It’s awesome!
Great, and if you need it, then it’s a good use of time. Do not choose a job over a great internship or research activity, though. Academic activities are still the best.
Well, that depends on which colleges you are applying to. For top tier colleges, absolutely. Most students get some kind of leadership during Junior-Senior years, though some kids have it all four. You can be an officer in a club, captain, mentor, founder, coordinator, coach, peer leader, founder, chair, organiser, etc etc. Leadership comes in lots of forms!
Yes they do, and more and more. You can call all family friends and ask if your student could assist in their office during the summer, paid or more often unpaid. This type of experience helps students identify possible career interests, so it is really helpful for college applications where often students are asked to state an intended major.
Summer camps your student is really interested in. Those look the best. Academic camps are preferred, as opposed to sports camps and trips to exotic locations. Volunteering is always good, and locally for that is often best, since there are people in need everywhere. Any academic camps related to your student’s possible intended major is a great idea.
That is actually more normal than not, especially at large high schools. Many students don’t get awards until graduation, and colleges know this. Of course, awards do look good, so be sure to keep track of any.
Electives almost don’t matter, when the student is taking a full course load. The student can take electives in areas that really interest him or her, and then they just need to make sure they don’t get B’s. B’s in easy classes like electives look weird. Do not allow your student to take a schedule full of electives. Students need 4 years of English, History, Math and Science–no questions. 4 years of foreign language is awesome and 3 is a good, solid minimum.
It is not a good idea if the student has been playing for most of his or her life. If the sport currently takes up the majority of the space on the resume, then the student needs to use that in admissions and offer to play at college. Unless the student is injured or really, really just disgusted with the sport, then being willing to play in college is a great asset. Your sport can get you into a better college than you can get into on your own. Some kids swear they are so excited to play all four years in college, and then they get there and hate it and quit. Other kids swear they will never play in college but then they get there and try it and love it. There is no way to know which kind of kid you are, so offer to play your sport in college because it will open doors for you beyond what your GPA and test scores can do.
NO. Do not edit for the student and certainly do not write for them. You must encourage them and quip them to succeed in life by learning how to work on their own. Parent writing is blatantly obvious to admissions officers and will backfire in every way. Essays are absolutely best left to the student, who can work with teachers and counselors.
